In my quest for a point and shoot super zoom camera, I purchased this xg-1. My experience was that the images were not vivid and the image stabilization was not even up to par with my older inexpensive canon powershot sx 150 IS. I returned it and tried the Canon sx710 which far surpassed this in both of those areas but did not have the electronic view finder. I shopped further and found the Canon sx60 which has a 65x optical zoom and 260x digital zoom, excellent image stabilization and beautiful vivid colors. It was my keeper and I returned the sx710. Yes a bit more expensive but worth it.

I got straight "A" s in my college photography class using an older Pentax K1000 before digital cameras became popular and enjoyed photography as a hobby when I was younger but for many years stopped taking pictures because I found the early digital camera depressing. I bought this after many years of not taking pictures hoping for a similar camera to my old one in digital format. Obviously using a digital camera is very different and doesn't really compare to my older camera but if you enjoy the challenge of taking pictures using a good technical instrument this will bring you a lot of the same kind of satisfaction. It has the heft that a pocket digital camera does not have. A lot of different settings that can be frustrating to some people but after figuring them out like challenging board game you feel good when it starts to work for you. It has a very nice lens that reminds me of my older pentax lens because it gives my pictures a nice sort of dark and crisp quality that is hard to describe but unique to this brand. If you are looking for a camera that will give your pictures easy "perfection" this may not be for you but if you enjoy photography for its technical aspects and as a hobby then this is a good one.

I can't rave about this camera enough. For what it does, you absolutely cannot beat the cost, and pictures come out crystal clear. The zoom on this camera lets me get photos I would never have been able to get with any of my previous DSLR cameras, and the weight of it feels very much like a 35mm camera. The weight also make it easier to hold the camera steady when fully zoomed out, so pictures turn out perfect. Camera does beautifully in low light situations, and those I have not yet had the chance to use it for night photography, the fact that you can set the shutter speed manually up to 30 seconds tells me this camera will likely do wonderfully at night as well. All in all, well worth the cost and would highly recommend.

All my cameras were Canon (3, last one SX 130 IS), and I always thought that there is nothing else. Canon has smooth cameras with very logical and rich menus, but I could never able to record video indoor with out focus issues. It was always loosing focus and then regaining it while click sounds in the background. I believed that its me, so I used to focus (half button) and then Lock AF. This camera do not loose focus in the middle of movie recording as long as you don't change zoom. Some said here that moon picture has to be taken 5 times to be right, well I have this camera 30 hours and took breath taking moon picture. Simple: ISO=100, use pod and 2 second timer, spot metering, dial on M, close aperture to above 7.0, zoom in on the moon to 30X or so and shutter = 1/50 or above. Trust me, you will get the best moon photo any camera can produce.
The only problem is the Flash getting triggered if you forget to always, disable it. I hope that in the next Firmware Pentax can add Flash Yes/No to the menu to just disable it completely if is desired.
Buy it and learn how to use it, and you will not be disappointed.
8-31-2015 The issue with the Flash can be solved by disabling the flash and then go to Menu and CS (Custom Setting) then when using P, it will keep permanently the Flash Off and other settings that you had when you set the Custom Setting.
The only issue that I see in this camera is the Focus, that is lost temporarily when zooming in and out at Movie mode.

This is actually a very good bridge camera despite what some of the reviews may say. I've owned many DSLR's and a few bridge cameras mostly Canons and Nikons and this one has been left behind in my opinion. One of my current bridge cameras is a Nikon P600. The Pentax XG-1 is every bit as capable as the Nikons or Canaons at half the cost. The build quality and features are awesome and the image quality is also as good. Aside from no optical diopter adjustment in the EV I think this camera is a diamond in the rough at a bargain price.

Just wanted to mention that I've had no issues with long tele focusing issues that some said they have had. I suspect they may be trying to use a focal length too close to the object or possibly trying to use macro.